Malen Is The Ultimate Steal For Roma | OneFootball

When Donyell Malen joined Roma on an initial loan deal in mid Janaury, it took quite a few people by surprise. The Netherlands international had been a regular in Aston Villa’s first team squad, and with the club competing on multiple fronts, it seemed like he’d be required to stay. The Premier League outfit sanctioned a loan move, and the deal can become permanent in what would be the ultimate steal for Roma.

Getting Off To A Flying Start

It’s fair to say that many people wouldn’t have predicted Malen to enjoy the start he has to life at Roma. The 27-year-old Netherlands international has played and started in all five Serie A games since joining the club, scoring five goals. He opened his account on debut in a 1-0 win over Torino and has scored a brace in each of his last two outings, against Cagliari and Napoli, respectively.

Malen’s form has seen him become one of the favourites to score for Roma according to football betting odds, with his form helping the club climb into the top four in Serie A, a position that ensures Champions League football for next term.

Why He’s A Steal

Malen is already proving himself to be a capable goalscorer in Serie A, not only because he’s bagged five goals in five games, but because he’s also scored braces on two occasions, with one of those occasions being against Napoli. At 27, Roma are also getting a player who is yet to enter his prime years as a forward, with that likely to come in the next 12-18 months.

What Malen also offers is versatility, which became evident at Aston Villa. While his preference is to play as a central striker, the Dutchman is also capable of playing out wide on either side. This gives manager Gian Piero Gasperini flexibility when it comes to team selection.

Permanent Deal Breakdown

Malen joined Roma on loan initially, but there was an obligation to buy clause included in the deal, provided certain conditions were met, conditions that Malen can help Roma achieve. It’s reported that the buy clause will become active if Roma qualify for the Champions League or Europa League, with Malen also having to have played in at least 50% of available matches.

At present, Roma are fourth, in part thanks to Malen’s contributions since joining the club, and the forward has been in five squads, starting all five games. If this were to continue in the same manner, the buy obligation would come into force, with Roma to pay Aston Villa €25 million (£21.7 million). And with just 15 more games to play, it would only require Malen to feature in six of those fixtures.

Final Thoughts

From here on in, you could say that everything looks straightforward. Roma just need to continue in similar form, and Malen needs to keep playing, ideally scoring a few more goals between now and the end of the season. Of course, it’s highly unlikely to be that straightforward, but Malen delivering on his end of the deal looks likely.

If the deal does then become permanent, as many expect it to, €25 million for a 27-year-old who is scoring goals in Serie A and can play across the front is the ultimate steal. Some would argue that a player of that ilk should be costing maybe even double that.